The Most Interesting Trail to Ślęża through the "Skalna" Reserve

For those who enjoy challenges, we recommend hiking to Ślęża through the rocky reserve called "Skalna" located on the western slope of Ślęża with the largest accumulation of rock formations in the park. This trail is undoubtedly one of the most demanding routes to Ślęża, but also the most interesting and satisfying! It leads through enormous boulder rocks and rocky gates.

• An older, experienced preschooler should be able to handle the difficulty of the trail
• High-top shoes are necessary
• The path goes through the forest and is heavily shaded

Tąpadła Pass - the beginning of the trail

The blue trail leads us through the "Skalna" reserve, with its initial part at the foot of Ślęża being less frequented and full of fallen trees. We recommend bypassing it and taking the initial section of the yellow trail.

So, we start our journey at Tąpadła Pass - there are several large forest parking lots here. During the summer season, on weekends and holidays, buses from Wrocław also reach the pass - POLBUS buses on line 512/522. You can find their schedule at the following link: POLBUS Schedule line 512/522 Wrocław - Tąpadła Pass

About one-third of the way, we walk on the yellow trail - it is a wide, rocky path through the forest, shaded by trees. Supplies and water for the PTTK Tourist House located at the top of Ślęża are also transported along this path.

Entering the blue trail

Approximately one-third of the way, at a wooden shelter, we turn onto the green trail, which leads us to the blue trail (thus avoiding an uninteresting section of the blue trail with fallen trees). We will reach the summit of Ślęża on the blue trail, following an interesting path between rocks.

Skalna Landscape Reserve

In the past, the Ślęża massif was covered by the Scandinavian glacier, so only a little, about 100 meters, protruded above the surface of the ice! The harsh climate caused the exposed rock to crack and created the surrounding gołoborze hills, currently covered with forests.

The final ascent to Ślęża is a steep stone staircase leading to the lookout tower.

Ślęża (718 m above sea level) - attractions at the summit

The towering Ślęża massif has been a place full of magic and religious worship for centuries. Druids used to pay tribute to the Sun on its summit, and they went to nearby Radunia to worship the Moon. It was even believed to be an extinct volcano! However, its conical shape is due to the former glacier that once surrounded it.

PTTK Tourist House "Na Ślęży"

Until recently, the PTTK Tourist House "Na Ślęży" served as a mountain shelter. Unfortunately, the water sources that supplied the building dried up, making it impossible to accommodate tourists at the shelter level. Currently, water is delivered to the house, so the PTTK Tourist House only operates as a restaurant.

Church on Ślęża

The church was built on the ruins of a medieval stone castle. Currently, fragments of the castle walls can be viewed through a glass window in the church floor.

• Visiting the church on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm (free of charge)
• Fee for entering the observation tower and descending to the underground, where you can see the apses, i.e., fragments of the former castle walls - 5 PLN

Ancient cult sculpture

On the summit of Ślęża, there is another "bear-like" stone statue of unknown origin. One theory suggests that they are remnants of the ancient Slavic cult, dating back several centuries before our era. Currently, the more likely theory is that they are stone products from the medieval period.

Observation Tower

There is also a publicly accessible, free observation tower on the summit of Ślęża. The path to the tower starts behind the church, right next to the stone "bear-like" statue. Climbing the tower is not easy, especially for people with small children. The stairs are steep, and the entrances to individual platforms are very narrow. It is advised not to climb the tower during a storm.

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Author: Adelina
Publish Date: 2022-09-21